Pages 2

Books to come

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

A New Tale Is Added to this Christy Award-Winning Fantasy Saga!Submissive to her father’s will, Lady Leta of Aiven travels far to meet a prospective husband she neither knows nor loves–Lord Alistair, future king of the North Country.But within the walls of Gaheris Castle, all is not right. Vicious night terrors plague Lord Alistair to the brink of insanity. Whispers rise from the family crypt. The reclusive castle Chronicler, Leta’s tutor and friend, possesses a secret so dangerous it could cost his life and topple the North Country into civil war.And far away in a hidden kingdom, a fire burns atop the Temple of the Sacred Flame. Acolytes and priestesses serve their goddess to the limits of their lives and deaths. No one is safe while the Dragonwitch searches for the sword that slew her twice…and for the one person who can wield it.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she’s not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and studies piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. She is the author of HEARTLESS, VEILED ROSE, MOONBLOOD, STARFLOWER and DRAGONWITCH. HEARTLESS and VEILED ROSE have each been honored with a Christy Award.

Excerpt

Sneak
Peek for

Dragonwitch

By: Anne Elisabeth Stengl

A
sudden pounding at her door startled Leta to her feet. Did those fool soldiers
think she might hide her former teacher in her own chambers? Drawing herself to
her full height, she strode to the door and flung it wide, demanding as she did
so, "What cause have you to . . . oh."

A
child, brown and wide-eyed, crouched before her, hands wringing. Leta could
almost remember having seen this humble scrubber-boy before, hard at work in
various corners of the castle. She had never spoken to him. "Lights above
us!" she said, taking in the terror in that face. The boy looked as though
he had seen a ghost. "What is the matter?"

"Allees-tar,"
the boy said, his eyes pleading to be understood.

Leta
shook her head. "Say again?"

The
boy chewed his lip, his eyes darting up and down the corridor. Then he reached
out and took Leta's hand in both of his and spoke urgently.
"Allees-tar."

"Alistair?"

The
boy nodded.

A
coldness took hold of Leta at the mention of her betrothed's name. "What
about him?"

But
the boy did not notice her icy voice or stance. He repeated the name and tugged
at Leta, motioning and signing for her to follow. There was no understanding
the child. Leta shook her head, her teeth grinding. "He must be summoning
me. A first time for everything under the sun!"

She
grabbed her cloak, for it was far too cold to wander the castle corridors
without one. Best to get the encounter over with as soon as possible, she
decided. She followed the boy to Alistair's room. At the door, she pushed ahead
and entered first so as not to seem dragged like a dog. She must retain at
least some form of dignity.

Then
she saw the state in which her betrothed lay.

"Alistair!"
She hastened to his side, leaning over him on the bed. Her mouth gaped, and she
grabbed the one candle and held it closer for a better look. She saw the
boiling, smelled the poison.

One
side of her mind said: SCREAM!

It's as well you
aren't afraid of blood, her practical side responded.

RUN! roared the
panicking Leta.

Someone's got to
take care of this. And you want something to distract you. It might as well be
you.

SCREAM, dragons
eat you!

But,
as usual, practical Leta won the day.

She
turned to Mouse. There was only a slight tremor in her voice when she spoke.
"Fetch fresh water and some bandages." Then she shook her head.
"How silly of me. You don't understand, do you? Stay with him, and I'll
fetch them myself."

ReviewThis is the 5th book in the tales of Goldstone Wood series. I have only ever read the first book, Heartless, but when I saw this book, I was ON IT. I mean... just the title alone had me begging to read it. And I am glad I did. I mean.. some things were confusing since I did not read books 2-4, but it was still an amazing read. The beginning where the prophecy and such were being explained sort of threw me off a little- as did the multiple stories, but once I dove into the actual story and they were merged together, I really got into it and enjoyed it. I don't want to get into too many details- not even about the characters.- so I don't accidently reveal anything pertinent to the story.I can tell you that I loved each of the characters and their individual stories. Especially Eanrin. (: All the characters were adorable and believable (well, you know what I mean. As believable as a fantasy character can be.) ;)And, as with the first book in the series, I love the magical worlds the author creates. Everything is so original and the characters are so much fun to follow. I had to keep guessing about a few of them and it really kept me on my toes! [rating 3.9]

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Gryphons flying past
skyscrapers? Wizards battling it out in coffeehouses? Women riding motorcycles
with large swords strapped to their backs? All normal sights since the Great
Collision happened twenty-six years ago.

Well, not normal for everyone. Larissa Miller may have been born after the
Great Collision, but as a history teacher who lives in the human-only city, she
has never come into contact with any other race or species, nor has she wanted
to. Her life is as ordinary as it gets - that is, until one day she walks out
of her apartment and is attacked by a mob of Zombies, only to be saved by a
Gargoyle.

Gargoyles trust no one outside their Clan, but due to a cryptic prophecy,
Terak, Leader of the Gargoyles, has been watching over the human woman for
months. While he can find no reason why the woman has been singled out,
something about her stirs every protective instinct within him. When the attack
confirms that the threats against her exist and are real, he convinces Larissa
that though their races have never been allies, the best chance of discovering
why she has been brought into his world is by working together.

In the course of their investigation Terak becomes entranced by his little
human. But when he discovers why Necromancers want her and the great reward
that awaits him if he betrays her, he must choose between the welfare of his
Clan and not only Larissa’s life, but the fate of this New Realm as well.

Larissa was born after The Collision and hasn’t run into the
things that go bump in the night. Even if she wanted to, her father wouldn’t let
her. Now, after 26 years without seeing anything from the Magic Realm, that’s all
she sees. Everywhere she turns, there is someone trying to kidnap her. She has
no idea what the Necromancer wants with her, but she’s determined to find out.

Terak is a Gargoyle. (duh) Not many people know about Gargoyles- and
that’s the way he wants to keep it. Then, he gets a message from The Oracle
saying he needs to protect a human. What starts off as a duty and annoyance
turns into something more once he gets to know her. Now he will destroy anything and anyone who tries to take what’s his. *eyebrow wiggle*

Larissa needs to learn about all these creatures she had been sheltered from- and fast- because they are coming for her.

I’ve been trying to find another awesome gargoyle themed book after
reading In Stone by Louise Gornall and I’m happy to say I found another one! This book
had me hooked from page one. It starts off focused on Larissa’s dad when
The Collision happens. Could you imagine colliding with another realm? The
human realm defiantly wasn’t expecting it and a lot of people lost their lives.
Now 26 years later Larissa lives in a city that is creature free…or so she
thinks. She’s been sheltered by her dad and brothers and doesn’t know anything
other than where she lives. I don’t know about her, but I would have been
reading up on all the supernatural beings. I don’t like being in the dark.
Anyways this book was very interesting and very good. It has something for
everybody Zombies, Dragon Slayers, Mages, Necromancers, Gargoyles and so. much. more. There are also a lot of secrets being kept in the book. You just think you
know someone and then BAM- the secret is out of the bag. This world is truly
amazing! I was going to put some quotes after my review but I read the book
so fast that I didn't get any. I finished this book in a couple of hours- like.. I literally couldn't put it down. The romance in the book was….not rushed but they could
have gotten to know each other a bit more. And I was hoping to get more insight
on a certain book about gargoyles. *wink* We only get a little tease in this
book but I’m hoping for a lot more in the next one. *blushes* Is it getting hot
in here? LOL Gosh the scenes in this book had me giggling like a little school
girl. I NEED MORE!!!!!! 2014 needs to hurry on up because I don’t think I can
wait that long for the next book. I know the next one is going to blow this one
out of the water. MEEP

Larissa: is just
and ordinary school teacher before a horde of Zombies tried to take a bite out
of her. Now she is flying around with gargoyles and in epic battle scenes. Some
would say it’s too much for a sheltered girl to handle- but not Larissa. She keeps her
back straight and her head held high. It’s her way or the highway. She does get
into a lot of trouble because of that though. She knows that the necromancer
wants her for some reason…and is determined to discover why.

Terak: Is the
Clan Leader of the Gargoyles and wants nothing but the best for them, even if
he has to watch a poor human. At first, he is hard as stone and then he finally
starts to open up to Larissa. He is ALL ALPHA! He can be unbearable at some
times, but it’s always for the best. LOL He also likes to get his way and he and
Larissa clash heads a bit.

Fallon: She is
one cool chick. She has a major bada** sword and is not afraid to use it. Most
of the book though she is…how do I say this a nice way……she was very
temperamental. Yeah let’s go with that. She doesn't like anyone and doesn't
trust anyone. I would watch my back around her but if you thought she was going
to kill you, you’d already be dead. That’s how awesome she is.

4 STARS

Born to the pothole ridden
streets of Pittsburgh, PA, Danielle started writing in a time long ago, a time
when there were not enough vampire stories to read and she had to write her own
to fill the void. Yes, such a time of darkness did indeed exist.

Danielle writes stories full of fantastical goodness and plenty of action, but
always with lots of romance (and a bit of woo-hoo!) mixed in. Vampires and
Werewolves and Demons and Angels, Sword & Sorcery, Fairy Tales, Updated
Mythologies and the like - if it's out of the ordinary, it's fair game for her
stories.

When not writing, Danielle reads comic books and watches cartoons (though she
says she reads manga and watches anime, because saying it in a different
language makes all the difference.) She listens to music, plays D&D,
follows XKCD, watches movies with the Rifftrax on, and is mom to two amazing
little girls and wife to her favorite guy in the world.

She is also the host of Romantic Geek Girl, a Podcast & Blog dedicated to
those two great tastes that taste great together - Geekness and Romance.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Lusielle's bleak but orderly life as a remedy mixer is
shattered when her husband betrays her and she is sentenced to die for a crime
she didn't commit. She's on the pyre, about to be burned, when a stranger
breaks through the crowd and rescues her from the flames.

Brennus, Lord of Laonia is the last of his line. He is
caught in the grip of a mysterious curse that has murdered his kin, doomed his
people and embittered his life. To defeat the curse, he must hunt a birthmark
and kill the woman who bears it in the foulest of ways. Lusielle bears such a
mark.

Stalked by intrigue and confounded by the forbidden
passion flaring between them, predator and prey must come together to defeat
not only the vile curse, but also the curse giver who has already conjured
their ends.

MY REVIEW!!!!!!

This book was a doozy, coming in at about 500 pages!!! I
thought I wasn’t going to like some of it, but I loved every page. I’m finding
it hard to express my thoughts, though. There is just so much to say. I’ve read
other books with curses incorporated into the story, but never with anything quite like this book. I felt the
doom in the air and I swear it was like watching a movie unfold. The emotions
were very real and frightening as the characters stood toface the curse. The book is
told in 4 different POVs, so that we know what is going on away from the main
characters. Those characters are Hato, Severo, Bren and Lusielle. I usually shy
away from books with that many POV because things can become confusing. In The
Curse Giver, however, I didn’t find myself confused- I just wanted MORE. The adventure
(if that’s what you want to call it) was more like them running for their lives
and it was exhilarating and I never knew what to expect- that my favorite
part. I know I said there is so much to say, but I don’t want to spoil anything.
Just know that the world building is brilliant and the characters were well developed. Aside from that, get ready for the ride of a life time.

Overall: An Epic
Fantasy Adventure that will keep you up throughout the night. (no, really. O.O)

Bren is a tortured man after witnessing his father’s -and
then his brother’s painful deaths. He knows the curse is going to take him
next, but he will do anything to save Laonia. Even kill a woman that bears the
goddesses mark. He knows his duty and will fulfill whatever he needs to do. But
underneath all that, there is a man crying out for help who actually HAS
a heart. And there just might be one person that can help him. Too bad he has to
kill her.

Lusielle was orphaned at the age of 16 and then married a
horrible man. He beat her and did other unimaginable things to her. Even after all that, she keeps her head up and back straight. She is full of strength and proves it
time and time again. She cares deeply for anyone injured and helps to ease their
suffering- with her gift as a remedy healer.

Hato is a grumpy old man- but loyal to a fault. He has also
like Bren in the fact taht watched his friend’s downfall. He does everything he can to help Bren
who is Laonia’s only hope and the last of his line.

Severo: I had my doubts about him, but I came to like he just
like the other characters. He and Lusielle had some funny moments together as
well as some terrifying ones. He is defiantly a guy that you want on your side.

Bren waited, pondering the strange turn his life had taken.
Either he was a desperate man or he was becoming increasingly creepy. Both, he
decided, smirking in the dark.

~Bren

BIO:

Dora Machado is the
award winning author of the Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The
Curse Giver, coming this summer from Twilight Times Books. She is one of
the few Latinas exploring her heritage and her world through the epic fantasy
genre today. Her first novel, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, won
the 2009 Benjamin Franklin award for best debut novel. Her second novel, Stonewiser:
The Call of the Stone, won the 2010 Independent Publishers Book Award's
(IPPY) Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy book of the year. Her third
novel, Stonewiser: The Lament of the Stones, won the 2012 Independent
Publishers Book Award's (IPPY) Silver Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy
book of the year. All three novels were finalist in ForeWord Magazine for Book
of the Year in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Category. Her latest novel, The
Curse Giver from Twilight Times Books is available July 2013.

She holds a
master's degree in business administration and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown University. She was born in Michigan and grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she
developed a bilingual fascination for writing, a love for history, and a taste
for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different
worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She enjoys long walks,
traveling, and connecting with the amazing readers who share in her mind's
adventures. She lives in Florida
with her indulging husband and three very opinionated cats.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

This handcrafted, customized, limited-edition, 1/4 inch aluminum bracelet from Silver Statements is hammered and stamped with The Curse Giver's signature message—Knowledge, Reason and Awareness, and flanked by the stylized outline of butterfly wings. Inside, the bracelet is stamped with the wordStrength. Aluminum
is a great metal for jewelry. It won't turn your skin green, doesn't
oxidize or tarnish, and its water safe. Plus it's so lightweight that
you might even forget you're wearing it

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which we share the books we are adding to our shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include
books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends
or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Hey
peeps,
it’s Stacking the Shelves time again. This month we will be showing the books that we've bought, traded, and books that we got for review. Next month we should be caught up with everything, so the post won't be as long. Also
don't forget
to show
us some love by leaving us a
comment and leaving a link to your STS. Read on peeps, read on!!!!!

Saturday, July 27, 2013

To find more participating authors/bloggers click on the banner above. :D

About Chasing
Memories

There
isn’t another way; not now. The others are coming. I can’t let them have you…

Seventeen-year-old
Reagan has a problem: she can’t remember what happened the night her brother
was taken. Now, the dreams haunting her from the incident are becoming more
intense by the day. All the while, the lines between what’s real and what’s a
product of her paranormal-obsessed mind are becoming blurred.

Is she
losing her mind or has she just stepped into a world she thought only existed
in books?

When I write a book, I imagine certain actors as my main characters. Not only does it help with descriptions and mannerisms, but it also leaves me prepared in case someone ever wants to make my book into a movie. A girl can dream!

In Chasing Memories, Reagan is devastated when she wakes up and is told her brother is gone. Weeks before, she had visions of prom dancing in her head. Now, her dreams are filled with screams and piercing gold eyes.

Since Reagan is a red-headed teenager with a good amount of spunk, I always imagined Emma Stone (especially in her Easy A role) playing the character. Reagan is at times fragile and at other times pure strength, and Emma Stone has an amazing range. Rafe is the new guy who comes to town and immediately piques Reagan’s interests, even though she finds him unsettling. In my mind, he was played by Avan Jogia (soon to be in Twisted on ABC Family). He’s sexy, yet mysterious—just like Rafe.

In every book I write, and every book I plan to write, there’s always a role for Hugh Jackman. He is equal parts Wolverine and romantic hero with some Les Miserables thrown in. In Chasing Memories, he would play Reagan’s Papa. It’s a small, but pivotal, role.

Do you imagine actors/actresses when you are reading a book?

As a reader, I can get quite upset when I hear about casting—especially with books I love. Let’s just say Robert Pattinson was originally a tough sale for Edward (although he won me over in the end).

But, at the end of the day, it’s all about breathing life into the characters we care about.

About Tia Silverthorne Bach

Tia Silverthorne Bach is an avid reader,
sometimes runner, involved wife and mother, and rabid grammar hound in addition
to being a multi-genre writer. Her three daughters were born in Chicago, San Diego, and Baltimore; and she feels
fortunate to have called many places home. She's the award-winning co-author of
Depression Cookies, a coming of age story written with her mother. Tia's
office is wherever her laptop takes her and any place that's conducive to
allowing a wild imagination like hers to flourish.

Friday, July 26, 2013

After seventeen-year-old Wake Reynolds agrees to sacrifice his soul to protect his suicidal mother from the fiery tortures of Hell, Satan strips him of his humanity and forces him to become a demonic collector of souls. With no memory of his human existence, Wake spends years in loyal service—but something within him is changing. His stolen human emotions are beginning to return.As Wake struggles to keep his new sensations hidden, Satan orders him to corrupt the soul of a pregnant girl, Annemarie. Beautiful, gentle Annemarie. From the moment Wake sees her, she brings lightness to his blackened heart, dampening his loneliness, fueling his passion. If he chooses to defy Satan and spare the lives of Annemarie and her unborn child, his mother’s soul will writhe in Hell’s deepest pit for eternity. Annemarie or his mother? It’s a choice no one should have to make.

Gary Caruso lives in northern Virginia with his wife Jill, but their favorite place is in Ohio with their three beautiful grandchildren. Although Gary is exhilarated when he sits down to write, teaching middle school science is his first love. He’s passionate about empowering students to make thoughtful decisions and positive choices in life. Gary enjoys reading, especially fiction that blurs the line between what’s real and what’s fantasy. He never imagined becoming a writer until an ordinary car ride on a spring day jolted an unlikely thought into his head. Gary’s early experience writing is a reminder that no matter how intimidating the challenge, action and determination are the foundations for fulfilling any dream. Gary has an insatiable love for writing, a blessing he’s excited to share with his readers.

EXCERPT

The crowd thins,
eventually leaving Annemarie and me alone in the hallway. She gathers her books
and turns, quicker than I expect. I can’t maneuver out of her way. Our
collision is mild, but jarring enough to dislodge the books from her hands.

“I’m so sorry,”
she says as she kneels to pick up her scattered books.

I should be
helping her, but my eyes are fixed on her graceful movements. Her long brown
hair has fallen to the side, exposing the back of her softly curved neck, and
every reach for a stray book lengthens her back and shoulders, inviting my touch.
From the lowest point, just above the waist of her jeans, the tip of my finger would
snake upward, navigating the gentle ridge of her spine until my hand laces
through the richness of her flowing hair.

She tilts her head
upward and grins at me. “Are you okay?”

Her voice snaps me
from my fantasy. “Me? Yeah, I’m…fine. Oh, god. I’m so sorry. I should be
picking up your books. You’re…you know.” I point feeble-mindedly at her
extended stomach.

“Pregnant,” she
says as she stands and straightens her blouse. “It’s all right to say it. I
already know.”

The tip of her
tongue unknowingly caresses her lower lip and the gentle arc of her full upper
lip stretches, the smallest amount, as a smile slowly radiates across her
flushed cheeks. These emotions, human, raw and…hormonal, forgotten for so long,
now my only hope for clear thought is to suppress them. This has to be one of
Satan’s sadistic jokes.

I laugh from
embarrassment, but it’s the first time, in too long, that the sound of
untempered, unrestrained joy bubbles from my heart. How can she have this
warming effect on me? I want to say something cute and funny, but my mind is a
hornet’s nest of scrambled thoughts.

“You look
familiar,” she says. “Do we have a class together?”

I gaze into her
hazel eyes. I must appear flustered because she tilts her head and grins.

“No. I mean, I
don’t know. Today is my first day at this school.”

“Great. Welcome to
RooseveltHigh School. My name is Annemarie.”

“I’m Wake.”

“Wake? That’s an
interesting name.”

“Yeah, I know. It
sounds like a funeral.”

“I like it. But I
have to go. My little guy keeps pushing on my bladder. Lately, I have to use
the restroom between every class.” She covers her mouth as if she gave too much
information to someone she just met, but her joyful eyes can’t hide the smile
hidden behind her hand.

“I can’t believe I
just told you that.” She starts to hurry away, but looks over her shoulder.
“See you later, Wake.”

I wave like an
embarrassed adolescent. What a lousy first impression. I sounded like a
bumbling, immature little boy.

I watch as she
continues down the hall. I’ve seen other pregnant women before. They were
clumsy, out of balance from carrying extra weight in front. But not Annemarie.
Her steps are graceful and refined, like she’s gliding on a frozen pond. The
gentle curves of her hips have remained slender, and sway hypnotically
side-to-side in a rhythm that matches the drumming of my heart.

What am I
thinking? Mooning about like a lovesick teenager. I can’t let my physical attraction
for Annemarie erode the resolve I’ll need to complete this assignment. Yet,
she’s the most beautiful… Does she even know how she makes me feel…how human?
I’m stuck in a moment reserved for young love. There’s nothing merciful about
denying the uninhibited excitement coursing through every inch of my body, but my
plan is already in motion. The fate of my mother’s soul is in my hands. As much
as I hate myself for thinking it, Annemarie’s beauty has to be extinguished. I
have to collect her. I know Satan is convinced these human emotions will help,
but right now, I wish I was a stone-cold demon. It would make it a lot easier
to incinerate her goodness from the earth.

[OMG YOU GUYS. THAT EXCERPT. TELL ME YOU WEREN'T PULLED IN]

REVIEW

Wake is a soul collector for Satan. Only he does not influence the people to do a few bad things that will get them on Satan's list in order to simply collect them after they die. Wake's job is to get teenagers on the brink of suicide to end their lives. He then has to suck their souls out of their bodies in order to survive. I know that you are thinking. O.O OMG, NO! But Wake is not all bad. The book starts when he is starting to get some of him memories from his former teenage life and starting to regain some of his human feelings. He starts to feels some remorse for the lives he helps end. And then he is sent after Annmarie and her unborn child.I enjoyed reading from Wake's perspective. I have read quite a few books solely from a male MC's perspective and this one is one of my favorites. (: I loved Wake and his progression throughout the book. Also, I love the progression of his relationship with Annmarie. I don't want to go to into detain and spoil some of the twists that come out of left field. Just when you think the story is getting cozy, the author throws a little something in there to mess you up. Highly enjoyed the characters and the story, especially Wake and cannot wait to read the next book. Annmarie was a sweetheart, too, and I love how she affects Wake and his transition on the book. (:[4.5 Stars. ;) ]

May 8th. (:

Tiffany and Ryan

.

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The FTC requires us to state that a percentage of the books we review are from the Authors. We receive them for free in exchange for an HONEST review. We do not receive any monetary compensation or such nonsense in exchange for reviews. Other books are reviewed are books we have bought, traded from other book lovers, won, or received as gifts.